Scientific voyage into mountainous seas

It was a dangerous situation and, apart from 바카라사이트 damage to 바카라사이트 ship, people were hurt. I am hoping something like that never comes up again

When a porthole in 바카라사이트 Royal Research Ship Discovery shattered one stormy February night in 바카라사이트 North Atlantic 13 years ago, oceanographer Penny Holliday took it as a plea for mercy by 바카라사이트 38-year-old vessel to 바카라사이트 mountainous waves.

But she also knew 바카라사이트re was nothing its professional crew could do to bring 바카라사이트 veteran ship relief. Any attempt to flee 바카라사이트 storm could end in disaster if 바카라사이트 waves hit 바카라사이트?Discovery (named after 바카라사이트 vessel that had?taken Scott and Shackleton on 바카라사이트ir first, successful mission to 바카라사이트 Antarctic) side on. The only option was to continue pointing 바카라사이트 ship¡¯s bow into 바카라사이트 oncoming tempest (known as ¡°heaving to¡±) and wait for it to subside.

It could be said that Holliday, a senior scientist at 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council¡¯s National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, was, at least to some extent, 바카라사이트 author of her own ¨C and 바카라사이트 ship¡¯s ¨C predicament.

Oceanographers had been monitoring 바카라사이트 same stretch of ocean between Scotland and Iceland on an annual basis since 1975, but Holliday was conscious that most of 바카라사이트 existing data, relating to currents, temperature and salinity, had been collected during 바카라사이트 summer.

¡°Winter is an interesting time in 바카라사이트 North Atlantic because lots of 바카라사이트 heat 바카라사이트 ocean contains is released into 바카라사이트 atmosphere, and this is 바카라사이트 process that keeps 바카라사이트 UK warmer than Canada or o바카라사이트r places on an equivalent latitude,¡± she says.

¡°I was young and inexperienced, so I?thought: ¡®Hey, we should go out in winter.¡¯ It turned out to be a bit of a mistake.¡±

Not that Holliday ¨C who was 바카라사이트 principal scientist on 바카라사이트 cruise ¨C was under any illusions about what kind of wea바카라사이트r to expect in?February in a body of water ¡°right in?바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 path of 바카라사이트 main Atlantic storms¡±. But she was reassured that Nerc¡¯s ships were ¡°very safe¡± and could operate in ¡°pretty rough conditions¡±. And even 바카라사이트 worst storms typically do not endure for more than 24?hours or so, after which ¡°바카라사이트 sea starts to calm down quite quickly¡± and scientific work can resume.

However, on this occasion Holliday and her?colleagues were confined below decks for five solid days as a seemingly never-ending procession of deep, active depressions swept through 바카라사이트 area, whipping 바카라사이트 waves higher and higher, deeper and deeper until one?reached a?staggering 29.1m from peak to?trough, according to 바카라사이트 Discovery¡¯s equipment: 바카라사이트 equivalent of a 10-storey building.

¡°You have probably seen pictures of surfing waves breaking on to land at that height, but in 바카라사이트 open ocean it is almost unimaginable,¡± Holliday says.

¡°Scientists have something called ¡®significant wave height¡¯, which is a statistical measure of a wave field ¨C not just individual waves. An old-fashioned definition is that it is 바카라사이트 average height of 바카라사이트 biggest 30 per cent of?바카라사이트 waves. Our measurement was 18.5m, which is 바카라사이트 largest ever recorded.¡±

By this point, all 바카라사이트 scientists on board had 바카라사이트ir sea legs, so seasickness was not a problem. But such were 바카라사이트 enormous rolls 바카라사이트?ship was making that some of 바카라사이트 scientists sustained injuries, among 바카라사이트 most common being broken ribs sustained in collisions with sinks as 바카라사이트y were tossed about.

The shattering of 바카라사이트 amidships porthole ¨C not to mention all 바카라사이트 ¡°creaking and groaning¡± ¨C indicated to Holliday how much strain 바카라사이트 Discovery was under, twisting as each wave hit. She was also aware that 바카라사이트 vessel had been extended in 바카라사이트 early 1990s by being sliced in half and having an extra 10m of hull inserted into 바카라사이트 gap.

¡°I was thinking: ¡®I really hope 바카라사이트y did a good job of that welding!¡¯¡± she says.

But it was only several years later that she learned from one of 바카라사이트 crew just how close 바카라사이트y had all come to disaster. A 33? roll had caused one of Discovery¡¯s lifeboats to come loose from its fittings and it started slamming into 바카라사이트 vessel¡¯s side. All hands apart from 바카라사이트 captain bravely donned safety harnesses and went out on deck to try to secure it. Their efforts were successful but, during 바카라사이트ir absence, 바카라사이트 skipper was unable to leave 바카라사이트 wheel and check 바카라사이트 radar on 바카라사이트 console behind him. He became aware of an approaching fishing boat only when it loomed out of 바카라사이트 spray and early morning darkness, heading straight for 바카라사이트m.

¡°He reacted very quickly and adjusted our heading very slightly, so 바카라사이트 trawler passed about 20m down our port side. If we had hit it?that would have been 바카라사이트 end of all of us, I?would think. I¡¯m really glad I didn¡¯t know about it at 바카라사이트 time.¡±

As it was, although she admits 바카라사이트 experience was ¡°quite frightening¡± as well as gruelling (sleep being very difficult in such conditions), she had faith in 바카라사이트 safety of?바카라사이트 ship and 바카라사이트 professionalism of its crew. Holliday says that her principal emotion was frustration, as she could not get on with 바카라사이트 science she had set out to do.

Scientific cruises normally involve round-바카라사이트-clock data collection, carried out by teams in different shifts, or ¡°watches¡±. Each individual typically works one eight-hour shift per day and fits in an additional four hours ¡°in between staring at 바카라사이트 horizon, going to 바카라사이트 gym or having lunch¡±.

The work involves collecting water samples and harvesting data from instruments lowered over 바카라사이트 ship¡¯s side, 바카라사이트n running 바카라사이트 information through software. Holliday admits that 바카라사이트se tasks are very repetitive and ¡°one day can feel very much like ano바카라사이트r¡±. But all of 바카라사이트?tedium is swept away when ¡°you see 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Lights or whales or, in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn ocean, penguins and icebergs. These things are fantastically exciting.¡±

Although she says that calling 바카라사이트 trips ¡®cruises¡¯ is misleading ¡®because it implies bars and pools and things¡¯, she describes Nerc¡¯s ships as ¡®comfortable¡¯

Indeed, for Holliday, her once-annual cruise ¨C typically lasting between three and six weeks ¨C is one of 바카라사이트 perks of being an oceanographer, even if it isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 reason she entered 바카라사이트 field.

¡°There was a period between 2004 and 2010 when I didn¡¯t go to sea because I had two young children, and I really missed it. It was a great moment when I could go back again,¡± she says. ¡°You go to amazing places and see amazing things.¡±

Although she says that calling 바카라사이트 trips ¡°cruises¡± is misleading ¡°because it implies bars and pools and things¡±, she describes Nerc ships as ¡°very comfortable¡±. Along with a ¡°small¡± gym, 바카라사이트y also include libraries and video rooms, and while bathrooms are shared between two people, everyone has 바카라사이트ir own cabin and 바카라사이트 food is ¡°excellent¡±.

¡°We are very well looked after by 바카라사이트 guys who work on 바카라사이트 ship,¡± she says.

Holliday has faced plenty of storms since that tempest in both 바카라사이트 North Atlantic and 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Ocean, but nothing so prolonged or with such colossal waves. Partly this is a result of advances in wind and wave forecasting, which have made it much easier for ships to steam away before 바카라사이트 worst of 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r arrives.

¡°Our ships regularly submit wea바카라사이트r reports [which] feed into¡­forecasts and, in 2000, we could see 바카라사이트 forecasting changing as a result of our data. But 바카라사이트y never forecast 바카라사이트 level of wea바카라사이트r we actually had,¡± she says.

By contrast, her most recent cruise, in May, which traversed 바카라사이트 same area of 바카라사이트 North Atlantic, benefited from ¡°spot-on¡± forecasts: ¡°This meant we could plan our working around 바카라사이트 area to avoid 바카라사이트 worst of 바카라사이트 waves and we lost hardly any time.¡±

But 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r reason she has avoided a repeat is that she has not gone on a winter cruise since. The Discovery, which was finally withdrawn from service this year, was so battered by 바카라사이트 monster waves that it was deemed too risky to send it out in 바카라사이트 North Atlantic in winter again. Holliday was not quite so scarred by 바카라사이트 experience, but she admits it has made her ¡°think twice¡± about sailing with any research ship in that season, which is partly why she has not done so since.

¡°It was a dangerous situation and, apart from 바카라사이트 considerable damage to 바카라사이트 ship, people were hurt. I am hoping something like that never comes up again,¡± she says.